Transmission control mechanism



Oct. 2, 1934. M {IEEE-TTS 1,975,626.

TRANSMISSION CONTROL MECHNISM Filed May 1`, 1930- Patented oct. z, 1934 1,975,626;K

UNITED STATE-s PATENr lerinor.

TRANSMISSION CONTROL MEoHANIsM Milton Tibbe'tts, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Michigan L Applicaticn May y1, 1930, seriaiNo'. 449,01

9 claims. (c1. 19a-1s) l This invention relates motor vehicles and particularly to the transmission mechanism thereof. More specically the inventionrelates to aV clutch anda clutch brake mechanism and their operating, and interconnecting linkages. f

. The need for a clutchbrake has become increasingly evident inv modern traine wherein theocca-` sion frequently arises foraccelerating in low or second gear farbeyond the normal range of suchv gears. Upon these occasions, it is often particularly desirable to be able to shift quickly, and without clashing the 'gearsto thenext higher ratio and to'continue the` acceleration substantially withoutpausing while accomplishing the shift. With the present transmission there is required an appreciable period ofdelayywith thegear shift lever in neutral before the-'clutch and it is not in this way completely eliminated'. Fur-f thermore, double clutching requires considerable.

practiceto accomplish well. 4

. Several types of synchronizing mechanisms have also been proposed orqadopted in an effort to shorten the operatonof shifting gears. The

clutch brake is perhaps. one of the "oldest syn-L chronizing mechanisms of` this ;sort.; However clutch 'brakes generallyv are undesirable i because they involve the-supplying of force by the operator of the vehicle in addition tothat which must be supplied 'to disengage the clutch. Y

c This requirement of additional force is :very undesirable,v and one ofthe objectsof this invention is to provide a clutch brake which mayV be applied by the clutch pedal Awithout necessitating any appreciable increase in pedal, pressure.

' As a corollary to this; it is desired to provide a clutch brake mechanismfwhich does not require any appreciable increase in `the Ystrength of 'the clutch retracting spring. v

y Some clutch brakes vare so interconnected with the clutch operating mechanism that an adjust-j ment of the linkage of the clutch tends to apply theA brake somewhat. Another object of this invention is to provide a clutch brake which is independent of variations in the adjustment-of the clutch operating mechanism. The Operation of the clutch simply sets `free other mechanism which then applies the brake andthis mechanism remains constant.

These objects may be accomplished andapplied to a -standard transmission in many Ways.; but

the one herein proposed, in which the brake is applied to the constant mesh gear on the transmission countershaft, is designed to be particu larly simple in construction and operation, and isintended as a preferred illustration of a mech anismcontainingthe features ofY this invention.:

'In the single ligure of the drawing vI- have illus-V I have shown a crank, shaft 10, a fly wheel 11 secured to the crankshaft,a transmission case 12 comprisinga forwardcompartment 13 for the clutch, and a rearward orgear compartment- 14.`

In accordance with customary practice, the clutchplates are pressed against the iiyvwheel llbyfthe., several I springs. 15 of whichfonlyv Lone lis shown.

The driven clutch plates 16 are splined byfany suitable hub construction 17 to' oneend' of the' clutch shaft 18,- and rotate therewith. Clutch shaft-18 isl supported by bearingsin the usual manner and-,terminates at its rearward end vin a gear V19 integral therewith, which gear is coneA stantly engaged with the constant mesh gear 20 on thetransmission countershaft 21. Gear 20; countershaftsecond speed gear 22, countershaftv low speed gear 23, and reverse gear (not shown), aregall fixed on sleeve 24 which is in turn supported byzbearings on shaft 21.-

-fv `Power passes through the transmission to the rear wheels by means of the lsplined ltransmission shaft 25, supported at one end by a bearing (not shown) inside the end of theclutch shaft 18, andnear the other end by a bearing in the rear-wall 26 of the transmission case, and-from there to the: splined universal joint, propeller .shaft and rear axle, as is lcommon practice. In high vgear the direct connectionbetween the' clutch shaft and the` transmission shaft is obtained by sliding the gear 2'7, which is splined to transmission shaft 25, over the end of gear 19, therev being-internal teeth on gear 27 which mesh* withthe external teeth on gear 19.Y

In .second speed, power is transmitted fro the clutch shaftl 18 through gears 19,` 20, sleeve 24 kand gears 22 and 27 to the shaft 25'. Low speed' is obtained by the engagement of low speed gear 23 with a slidably splined gear (not shown) on shaft 25. Some'synchronizing mechanisms do not provide for synchronizationwhen shiftingffrom low to Asecond gears. There, is, however, just as much need for it, and consequently this invention contemplates the provision of continually acting synchronizing means. y

The action of this invention will be described los when a shift from second to high is being made, but it will be readily understood that the action of the clutch brake will be the same when shifting out of low gear. When shifting gear 27 from sec--Y ond to high, in other words from its engagement with gear 22 to its engagement with gear 19, it is desirabletoslowdown the gear 19 in"l order" that there may be. no.v clashing betweengears 2.7. and 19 at the instant of engagement. Gear 19 is, however, part of a system comprising clutch shaft 18 and transmission countershaft sleeve 2.4;1A so,that the entire system must. be slowed dovvn,r and, conversely, slowing down anypartl ofv theentire system will have the desired eiTect---ongear' The oil or grease inthe transmission will have;

some Yeiect on the rotation of. this. system butan, additional brake is required; The construction in this case is a friction brake surfacei 2&whichil. is adapted to be applied to the side of countershaft' gear 20. The surface2'8`is mounted onfas brake-shoe member 29 supportedi inl the trans mission-case by a boltBUandheldithereby against;- rota-ti-on about the-"sleeve- Zie The brakev sliceL member 29 Vis movedaxiallyalong the- 'sleeve'V 2&1'L inl` order toappl'ythe f brake; This; maniementi4 is: provided byA azyoke- V3 laf andi ai lever arm 3'1"Y which are keyed` on a-shaft32firetarjably secured;iirlthe transmission casing. Thev armY 31eis i madey t'omove the brake shoe-`29 int'o braking pssitionl by meansof springr 33" connectedte arm131 outside the casing# thus mak-ing the application of" theVA brake possible without requiring force from anexternalf partl of? the systemi such'as the clutchr pedal; Spring 3'31is;mounted inwanyVJ com/ementV fashion, andL should be adjustedsoi thatf it'will retard the rotationof?, but not immediatelyfstbp; the clutch driven parts. shown, thevspring isl attached to a bolt 234i mountediii a bossf35lonL theoutsideof "the transmission case f 12; v-a swivell j oint- 3 6 lconnectsthe* spring: to\tlie f bolt. A` lock@ nut-37' is usedT to -liold thel boltfat thepropen adi justment. This adjustment?l makesV iti possible to-control`=the action* of the clutclibraliefsothai the driven clutch parts will` be slowedfup` ,until2 thflineanspeed's of the meshing#gearY teethL are equa-l2 Y To coordinate ther action'- of? the; brake-sd that` it is applied only 'whenltheIA clutch'isdisengaged, there' is mounted:V pivotally' at 3'8, and'cmaxially witlitlie clutch pedal 39 which operate'stlieclutchb'y# means ofi adjustable 1 link' i and* ylole` 4'1, arr arm'L 42- which; i's rotated about-the` airisl 381= by means ofastbp-iSLmount'ed-onf-an extensionV 421 i' off'the clutclpedall. bolt extendslthrougit st'op 4B and' al'soA through af boss: 46'17on' arm'- 42 and on it' a lock nut'el'a'ndff a-springl 48` With-'variations'in thel adjustmentof thelengih off the clutch linkv 40, clutclil'everIv 39'1and con'se i quentl'ystopl 43`wi1l have alvariabl'angularpo'sl tion about the pivot 38EA Springf 48,and its-adi' justinentby means off B01117451 andit'sll'clef nut 47, takes up any play. whichWould'othen'wi'se-de-4 velop in theV connection1 betweenK extension 44 and''arm 4t2; byvirtue ofanadiustmentotf the clut'ch link 40'. Thus 'the lcll'itch mayfbe.adjusted without necessitatingv a readjustment offV thel clutchibrakeoperating meclanism- Arm 42 rotates'cammember t9,r pivote'd' at 50, by means of link 51? connected"l t'o-anextension of the/cam. Asshown'- in full'-A linesfin they drawing; theclltch brake isv inreleased position; Buti-when cam-49`isrotatedlto itsdotted line position; which' is done by disengaging tlieiclutchand@s-iinultaaney dit?i ""Iiiiy ouslyv wthsucl'r disengagement, Vit -i's-seem that the spring 33 is then free to move arm 31 and apply the clutch brake, and that this spring, when thus freed, is independent of the clutch, so that the clutch may be disengaged quickly or slowly. In either case the clutch brake will still operate in the manner dictated by the adjustment' off thefspringg' and is= therefore; standardized ineitsloperation... v

It is seen that there is no additional strength required in the clutch spring 15 or the clutch pedal retracting spring 52 to hold the brake off. Clutchsprings 15 are the motive force for disengagingv tlie` clutch brake. They operate, throughthe linkage-shown, to rotate the cam 49 toits verticali position, and such additional work asis? required anthem or of the clutch pedai retractingspringJ dueto the use of this clutch brake apparatus, is' required only during the disengaging movement and none is required ofthese springs when this has been completed.

Stopsf- 53Lare .provided onithewallofl the transmission; caseL tol prevent; movement off thei member` 49:- in. any.l but.: the 90..-r degree ard-between; the V'fllt:anddottedlposition offt'hee cam.A

llt shouldf be noticedg. bearing. outil on'efV ot the: obj ect's of the f invention, thatLthe only additional force-- requiredV onl the clutch; pedali. to.` accomplishi the engagement of` the':clut'chlzvra'ke.isatlrelnegligi-f ble amountcausedby the friction z of. the cam: 492 sliding` on arm31, andvtheifrictien im the joints?y ofithe Aarm-y 51.-

Although;thisinvention; hasbeienf. described in connectionV with certain specifiedi embodimentsi the principlesl involvedf are f. susceptibleff of J. numeri-Y ouslo'ther applications', asf-willfrea'dly` be: seenbyz 131D personsV schooled int thex'. art; Theinvention"v is: therefore tof be limitedl only as. indicatedI by the. scope GTtheappendedIGIaimSL.

Whatis claimed is Y 123.111 a: power: transmission: system.. a; clutch; 135 mechanism; .aclutch` brake; 4 and an automatically spring{operatedipivotedleveroperating the' clutclI brake, themovementofwhiehfleverv'tb brake' apiplied position!is controlled by 'the clutch: mechasnism,n but without pressure against; theff clutchi spring'wlenzthe lever-j'i'slinibrake released'position.

2. YIna transmission: mechanism.. the combina-.- tion ofi driving f and driven shafts, a-v clutchl comn meetingsaid shafts, spring:r means. to close:- said clutcli; a-brakefor the .driveny shaft, spring: means operating the brake? an` operatingdevice for: thel clutch moved torit's closedlpositionl by' theiclutc'hf springfmeans, andconnectionscausing retractiom of the brake againstA thesreturn of its spring: means: byfthe action ofA the'y clutch. spring means moving the clutch` t'oclosed? positiony but. Withno' reaction against" the= clutchf spring means. aften' the clutch reachesclosedi'positioni A3. Inv al motor' vehicle" includingf a. clutc`lr-,- a drliiverI controlled?clutchA operating mechanism and? a; transmission-V mechanism; the`A latter.- come prising a. drivingF gear and. a` shaft-driven there-- from, spring operated me'anszassociatedwith;the d'rivenfshaft tending to stoplrotation ofithedriving gearI when the` clutch isdisengaged@ said" 154/0 means beingV operatedf in conjunction with"v but not actually` 'liyv the' clutchoperating mechanism.

4'. In a power transmission system, a clutch',

a clutch pedal?, and. linkage connecting the two, n aclutchbrake; aspring operated'` arm controlling5 145 thefaction of the clutch'forake, andfarcam'governzing; tliefaction: of thezspring: operated' armgl and forming a one-way acting connection-i between thej arm andfthefclutchpedal 5. a power transmission. system;` ai clutch,

clutch operating mechanism, a clutch brake, power operated means to apply the clutch brake, and means controlled by the clutch operating mechanism for releasing the power.

6. n a power transmission system, a clutch, clutch operating mechanism, a clutch brake, means separate from the clutch operating mechanism tending to apply the clutch brake, and means operated by the clutch operating mechanism opposing said applying means.

7. In a power transmission system, a clutch, clutch operating mechanism, a clutch brake, spring means separate from the clutch operating mechanism tending to apply the clutch brake, and means operated by the clutch operating mechanism opposing said spring means.

8. In a power transmission system, a clutch, a clutch brake, relatively movable operating mechanisms for the clutch and brake, the clutch brake operating mechanism being connected to be placed in operative position by the clutch operating mechanism, and resilient means connected to the clutch brake operating mechanism to move it into brake applied position.

9. In a power transmission system, a clutch, clutch operating mechanism, a clutch brake, power operated means to apply the clutch brake, and means connected to the clutch operating mechanism and actuated thereby for rendering the power operated means effective and ineffective.

MILTON TIBBETTS. 

